The Sun and the Total Eclipse of August 2017
proposé par
The Sun and the Total Eclipse of August 2017
University of Colorado Boulder
À propos de ce cours
4.6
54 ratings
A total eclipse is one of the most spectacular sights you can ever see! It looks like the end of the world may be at hand. There is a black hole in the sky where the sun should be. Pink flames of solar prominences and long silver streamers of the sun's corona stretch across the sky. It gets cold, and animals do strange things. People scream and shout and cheer, and remember the experience their whole life. But total eclipses are important scientifically as well. They let us see parts of the sun’s atmosphere that are otherwise invisible. A total eclipse presented the first chance to test Einstein’s prediction that matter can bend space – like near a black hole. The best total eclipse in the United States in 40 years happens August 21st, 2017.
This course has two primary goals:
1) to get you excited for the total solar eclipse coming in August 2017 and prepare you and your community to safely view it
2) to provide an inviting overview of the science of the sun and the physics of light
If you are most interested in preparing for the eclipse, you can hop right into Week 5! If you want the full course experience, and to get some fun scientific context for what you'll be seeing on August 21st, start with Week 1 and move through the course week by week!
[Note: if you start with Week 1, you can skip through some of the repeated material once you get to Week 5.]
Overall this course will prepare you to...
* Safely view the total or partial solar eclipse
* Help others watch safely and even make money by leading a “neighborhood watch” of the eclipse
* Review fundamental sun science, including the physics of light, how astronomers study the sun, how it formed, how we know what’s inside it, and where the energy that supports life on earth is generated
Programme du cours : ce que vous apprendrez dans ce cours
1
Section
Introduction to the Sun and Eclipses
In this module we describe what causes eclipses, how rare it is for any one place to experience a total eclipse, the dramatic difference between a total or a partial eclipse, and encourage you to see the total eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017. We also review the upcoming course topics, demonstrate how large the sun is, and introduce sunspots.
8 vidéos (Total 24 min), 1 lecture, 1 quiz
8 vidéos
1. Description and video of a total eclipse - watch people and animals freak out!4 min
2. How to watch an eclipse5 min
3. Overview of Course Topics and Goals2 min
4. Eclipses of the sun.1 min
5. Total vs. partial eclipses1 min
6. How Astronomers Study the Sun. The Sun's size compared with earth.4 min
7. Sunspots and the solar activity cycle1 min
1 lecture
You can start final project now!2 min
1 exercice pour s'entraîner
Week 1 Quiz18 min
2
Section
Most of what we know about the Sun is learned from Light
In this module we explain how astronomers use visible and invisible light (ultraviolet and X-rays) to study the sun. We learn that all light comes from atoms, and that the quantum world of atoms is like nothing you’ve ever seen! We see how the properties of light let us determine the sun’s temperature, its composition, and the important role of its magnetic fields.
7 vidéos (Total 45 min), 1 quiz
7 vidéos
2. What is light? Differences between red, blue, ultraviolet, and X-ray light.2 min
3. Properties of light. White light. Kirchhoff-Bunsen laws. How color tells you temperature.8 min
4. Don’t be fooled by reflected light!5 min
5. Is light a Wave? Is it a particle? It’s both! The strange world of quantum physics.6 min
6. Spectrum lines – how they tell us what the sun is made of; the quantum origin of spectrum lines.8 min
7. How visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays reveal the sun’s photosphere, chromosphere, and corona. Magnetic fields and the solar wind.10 min
1 exercice pour s'entraîner
Week 2 Quiz30 min
3
Section
How does the Sun work? What makes it shine? What’s inside?
We can’t see inside the sun with visible light, but there are ways to infer or even see down to the sun’s center, where vast amount of energy are generated, making possible life on earth.
7 vidéos (Total 30 min), 1 quiz
7 vidéos
2. Newton's law of gravity3 min
3. The "pefect gas" law that explains temperature, pressure, and density3 min
4. Inside the sun; nuclear energy generation.8 min
5. The transport of energy from the sun's core to the surface1 min
6. Neutrinos and Sunquakes (solar seismology)4 min
7. Einstein proved right by a total eclipse - gravity warps space!6 min
1 exercice pour s'entraîner
Week 3 Quiz10 min
4
Section
How did the sun form?
When you look at Hubble Space Telescope images of beautiful clouds of gas in space you are seeing what happened in our own solar system 4 ½ billion years ago when the sun formed. This week we explain how that process works.
7 vidéos (Total 26 min), 1 quiz
7 vidéos
2. Regions of star formation in space.3 min
3. Converting gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy heats forming stars.5 min
4. Conservation of angular momentum causes a new star to spin.2 min
5. A previous generation of stars made the elements that formed the sun and planets.3 min
6. Different kinds of stars make different elements and recyle them into the galaxy.3 min
7. The formation of the planets around the sun.5 min
1 exercice pour s'entraîner
Quiz for Week 426 min
4.6
Meilleurs avis
par JB•Jul 24th 2017
I learned a lot and wished I'd known how interested I am in physics. Looking forward to August 21, 2017. Thanks Dr. Doug for your teaching!
par R•Jul 3rd 2017
Excellent Course structure. This course is suitable for all the college going students and for all branches. Thus a universal course.
Enseignant
Douglas Duncan
Astronomer, Director, Fiske PlanetariumAstrophysical & Planetary Sciences
À propos de University of Colorado Boulder
CU-Boulder is a dynamic community of scholars and learners on one of the most spectacular college campuses in the country. As one of 34 U.S. public institutions in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), we have a proud tradition of academic excellence, with five Nobel laureates and more than 50 members of prestigious academic academies.
Foire Aux Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
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